On May 20, Moorhead and Verlan Harper, 68, of South Lebanon were indicted: Harper on 27 counts of pandering and two counts of illegal use of a minor in nudity oriented material, a fifth-degree felony; Moorhead with 47 counts of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor, a fourth-degree felony.
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Thomas Johnson, 79, of Franklin Twp., was indicted on June 24 on 67 felony counts, illegal use of a minor or impaired person in nudity-oriented material or performance, a fifth-degree felony, and the pandering charge, a fourth-degree felony.
None of the three defendants had a criminal history involving child pornography, Fornshell said at the time of the indictments.
The cases were developed by Brandi Carter, a detective with the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, with software used by federal task forces to patrol the internet for crime against children, according to court records.
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In a motion urging probation for Moorhead, his lawyer pointed out how much he cooperated with the investigation, accepted responsibility and tried to guard against the impulses that resulted in his crimes. Moorhead was a victim of child abuse, according to the sentencing memorandum.
“Mr. Moorhead admitted during questioning that he had a need that he did not like nor completely understand and so whenever possible avoided situations which would put him in contact with children,” lawyer Brandon Moermond said.
After the indictments were issued, Fornshell remarked that evidence gathered in Moorhead’s case included a horrifying video of a 12- to 18-month-old girl beaten, raped and tortured.
His case began on Jan. 13 when Carter, a Warren County Sheriff’s deputy specializing in such investigations, used the Internet Crimes Against Children software to determine a web address traced to Moorhead’s home had been used from October 2018 to Jan. 12 to download child porn, according to search warrant filings.
On Sept. 17, Moorhead entered a plea and was found guilty of 24 counts of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor in Warren County Common Pleas Court.
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On Nov. 14, Judge Timothy Tepe sentenced Moorhead to three years in prison and up to five years on parole. He also was classified a Tier II sex offender required to register with local authorities for 25 years after his release from prison.
The prison term was identical to those ordered in August for Harper and October for Johnson.
On Wednesday, Moorhead was moved from the jail in Lebanon to the state prison system, according to jail records.
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